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I usually don't fixate on Soundtracks, perhaps because I tend to focus on Multiplayer games (L4D being the only one I can think of where soundtracks play an important role). In fact, music will usually be the first thing I turn off after an hour or two when I've felt I've heard it all.

But certain tracks from ME3 quite stood out to me which got me thinking about the impact of Soundtracks in games (and I know I am not the first to), and why so many people throw such a huge fuss over them (like those JRPG or Civilization soundtracks and etc). When I hit up the forums, I was surprised that there wasn't a thread dedicated to discussion of soundtracks and their impact in games around here.

So here we go.

Feel free to share any game soundtracks that stood out to you and discuss them!

As certain discussions will most surely cross into spoiler territory, please be considerate of the 'lazy/busy' portion of us that may have not finished certain games and use the SPOILER tags where appropriate.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE CONTINUING FOR IMPROVING YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THIS THREAD!

I initially intended this to be just a humble little discussion thread about soundtracks and their use/impact in games, but it's now evolved into this massive compendium of people's favorite video-game soundtracks (which is just as awesome!). So here are a couple tips for viewing/using this thread.

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Also, browsing some of the pages in this thread may become cumbersome for you OR more importantly the computer you browse it with. Here are a couple tips/plugins that people in the thread have recommended to make your experience a little easier.

Btw, do you guys listen to soundtracks in any particular fashion different from how you'd listen to regular music? In any way in particular? Like while playing online games, working, doing mundane tasks (like commuting), exercising, and/or etc?

Btw, do you guys listen to soundtracks in any particular fashion different from how you'd listen to regular music? In any way in particular? Like while playing online games, working, doing mundane tasks (like commuting), exercising, and/or etc?

I often like to have quiet music on in the background when I'm reading, as long as it's not too upbeat and has little or no lyrics. So I may play the Bastion soundtrack and a selection of Skyrim tracks - mixed in with some jazz or cello - while I'm reading The Hobbit or something. Basically, whenever I'm doing something that benefits from some music playing, you can bet my game soundtracks are tossed into the mix.

Edit:

This one from Red Dead Redemption provided one of the single most moving moments I've had playing a game. If you've played it, you know what I'm talking about.

Mixing Good Whisky with Bad Rum, in the spiritual realm of Frarkin Frogohs Frapulisim

Pikey26 wrote:

Btw, do you guys listen to soundtracks in any particular fashion different from how you'd listen to regular music? In any way in particular? Like while playing online games, working, doing mundane tasks (like commuting), exercising, and/or etc?

Btw, do you guys listen to soundtracks in any particular fashion different from how you'd listen to regular music? In any way in particular? Like while playing online games, working, doing mundane tasks (like commuting), exercising, and/or etc?

I have 2+ hours of commute time/day. Most of that time is podcasts or soundtracks. Also, they're perfect for drowning out the noisy BS-ing @$$holes in the adjoining cubicles at work. Perfect because they don't have distracting lyrics. I can really enjoy being productive at work.

The shear number of songs produced by games that I like sure makes a "short list" difficult to create

This forum is filled with filthy enablers. ~Localgod54
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Totes. There are some games that I scarcely remember save for the music. Super Mario RPG is one of them. I mean, I remember the game being awesome-sauce, but it's the music that stuck with me more than anything.

And since you brought up Super Mario Land (and what an awesome song, by the way), this next track is my absolute favorite from a game that was essentially the formative experience with the Game Boy: Super Mario Land 2. (The good stuff picks up at 1:50)

And to round out my old-school musical reminiscing, I have one from a game that I have vivid memories playing in no small part because of the music: Mega Man 3.

Man, you guys are linking some great stuff, but nobody has linked Chrono Trigger? Are you all mad?

You gotta realize, CT was scored on a SNES. No real instruments, no big orchestra. One crummy little synth in a piece of cheap hardware. And, nonetheless, the soundtrack is incredibly engaging and highly listenable. There's a TON of music in this game, enough to literally fill three CDs worth -- I know, because I actually own them.

Here's a sample of ten of the themes, maybe not the ones I would have picked, but quite good:

Be sure to at least check out #2, Frog's Theme, at 7:22. It's worth listening to the whole thing, but check out Frog's Theme for sure.

I mean, fer chrissake, that's on the goddamn Super Nintendo!

"I've been playing Rebel Galaxy for the past few days. It has made me appreciate every other game in the genre more." -- Flintheart Glomgold

A kid I knew in college was one of those Tetris savants. He'd play this game for hours. The soundtrack haunted me until I finally figured out the name of the game and found a download for it... and now there's Youtube.

This track found itself onto many a mix cd. Especially good when I'm driving with a headache. There's something about the backing 'thump' that makes it less ouchy...

I'm not ashamed to admit that this track has been played in my bedroom.
Zombie Shuffle indeed.

I love a lot of music from the Arc the Lad games, but for some reason this one is my favorite battle track in particular from Twilight of Spirits. I love the crazy mesh of music going on in this track (in particular I love the guitar intro around 1:30 and the way it blends back into the main theme around 2:10).

Yeah, that intro video / music for Wild Arms was the best thing about that game.

I had a big list of SNES games but you know what, the best collection of Nintendo's past systems games is in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. There's ~300 tracks in that game and tons of greats ones like this rendition of the Donkey Kong Country 2 track, Bramble Blast:

Myth: The Fallen Lords' Siege of Madrigal has since been put in as an easter egg for all the Halo games (also being a Bungie title). Sometimes remixed sometimes not but regardless, it's a great piece of music.

imbiginjapan on Vanquish:The difficulty is punishing but it knows enough to punish me while wearing stiletto heels and a push up bra, so I forgive it.

Mixing Good Whisky with Bad Rum, in the spiritual realm of Frarkin Frogohs Frapulisim

No Videogame thread is complete without these classic, timeless, virtuoso gems:

Super Metroid - Upper Brinstar (SNES)

F-Zero - White Lands I (SNES)

Final Fantasy IV - Zeromus (SNES) (from 0:56 to 1:17 truly majestic)

Shadow of the Colossus - The Opened Way (PS2) (The entire OST is magnificent, but this one really lands the sentiment of encountering a Colossus for the first time)

And perhaps my all-time favorite game, with perhaps the world's greatest OST, not enough tracks can be selected, so I'll choose the final theme, which encapsulates most themes into one 11minute piece of utter brilliance:

Final Fantasy VI - Ending Theme (SNES)

And within the same game, Nobuo Uematsu's amazing contrast in tone and theme:

I can't possibly be the only guy here who played tons of C64 and Amiga games. So... Turrican, anyone? Factor 5 also developed Super Turrican 1&2 and Mega Turrican, which looked fancier, but were mostly based on the original trilogy, which was the real deal. I own and love the original soundtrack, but Kickstarter brought a nice reminder: Chris Hülsbeck, the guy who composed all Turrican soundtracks, wants to do an Anthology Edition. Woot!

I've met Chris twice or thrice since a former colleague knows him pretty well. He's a genuinely nice and humble guy, so I'm not having a hard time investing in this.

No Videogame thread is complete without these classic, timeless, virtuoso gems:

Super Metroid - Upper Brinstar (SNES)

Oh, you found the one weakness in the Smash Bros. Brawl soundtrack - the Metroid tracks. Most are absolutely ruined by voices, and in one case it sounds like a terrible attempt of a surfer dude impersonating an announcer. I shudder at the thought.